APAM- The Directors Cut!

[thewharfonline]

Welcome to APAM the Directors Cut, which is pretty much the APAM articles that were lost without a lot of the really nice comments you all sent me! So let us begin!

[thewharfonline]

APAM- Yes Australian Paddler Appreciation Month- or how ever long it takes for me to get through what I want to get through! Australians may be a minority on this forum and as international members you may not know a lot about our Australian boats and how important they were to Australia's history. So over the next few weeks, months, years- however long it takes- I will take you all on a tour of some of the Towns and the remaining paddlers Australia has. Each article will contain images of the boats/towns and other Aussies feel free to post extra comments about the boats or facts that I may have left out. Or if you've made a model post an image of it! So let's first cover some basic facts! The first paddle steamers on the Murray River were the 'Mary Ann' built by William Randell and the 'Lady Augusta' built by Francis Cadell. The 'Mary Ann' was built to see if products could be taken to the Australian goldfields- a great market at the time, Cadell in the 'Lady Augusta' was after the money offered by the government for the first paddle steamer on the river- however neither of the boats qualified for this money anyway! The 'Mary Ann's' boiler can still be found at Mannum, South Australia. Its interesting square design required it to be chained down to stop it expanding too much- somewhat like an accordion, but what do you expect for home made! The Murray River is 2530 km long and stretches from the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales to Lake Alexandrina and the ocean in South Australia. The Murray-Darling river system covers four states, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland. Our Murray River Paddle Steamers though made their way to Tasmania, New Zealand and Western Australia as well! The Darling river, one of the Murray's tributaries is actually longer than the Murray at 2739 km long. The junction is found at Wentworth in New South Wales. The Murray winds its way for most of its course with tight bends. It was and still is a hazardous river with snags, reefs, sunken objects and other nasties in the river not to mention the cross winds that blow over the river flats which could easily push a paddler into the bank. The river however is very picturesque with varying landscapes. Yarrawonga offers hundreds of dead red gums- a sad reminder of Salinity issues, but also weird grey statues that seem to float in the river. Huge Red Gum forests can be found at Barmah, the grand wharves of Echuca and Morgan (among others) still stand tall after all these years, bright green grass and palm trees in Mildura and Renmark, vineyards, orchards, the mighty Murray Cliffs some 45 metres in height and then the great Lake Alexandrina and the Murray Mouth, where Fresh Water meets Salt Water...or did once, now it's pretty much salt water meets salt water! Our river is unique, our paddle steamers adapted. Top Ender Boats- Albury to the South Australian Border flew a different flag and were in tough competition with the 'Bottom Enders'- Goolwa to Renmark (or there abouts). The Top End boats had to fit in with some of the toughest bends and troubles of the river, as such side wheels were the best option as they allowed the maneuverability of the boats to be far greater than a stern wheel, however in South Australia more stern wheelers could be found! All along the river are amazing stories, all of which I can't tell here, but now you have an overview so on to Albury where the first APAM article will take place on the Paddle Steamer Cumberoona!

[thewharfonline]

Albury is the first place along the Murray River to be able to ride a paddle steamer, and is fondly called 'Gateway to the Murray' Through the construction of the Yarrawonga Weir it is no longer possible to travel from 'Source to Sea' as such Albury is locked away from the rest of the river. The P.S Cumberoona is a modern paddle steamer, built for Albury's Bicentenial celebration in 1988 (The settling of Australia was in 1788 with the arrival of the 'First Fleet' a group of convict transportation boats). Cumberoona is Aboriginal for 'Crooked River' very fitting for the Murray which is crooked for most of its length. Along with the boat Upper Murray Steamship Co. was formed to operate the boat. There is more to the Cumberoona's naming than the river though. The first Paddle Steamer to work in the Albury Area- when the river wasn't controlled as it is today- was the P.S Cumberoona. The Original Cumberoona was built in 1866 for the use of carting grain, wool and other products up and down the Murray. The new P.S Cumberoona only carries passengers and was launched in 1987. The Cumberoona is 84 feet long, 20 feet wide with a pair of 16hp Buffalo Pitts steam engines (1906) and a Maxitherm 130psi boiler. P.S Cumberoona is alone in its class as the only steam operating paddler with independently driven wheels on the Murray. The side wheels are housed by round paddleboxes The boat is liscensed to carry 200 passengers and operates (river permitting) three times a day. Unfortunately when I was at the Cumberoona the river did not permit a cruise, however my girl friend has cruised on her, but again was at the hands of the river- it was in flood and as such the Cumberoona could not go under a bridge! 'Events on The Murray', a tourist leaflet on the Cumberoona, describes the construction of the Cumberoona as being "fashioned from recycled timber to recreate the feel and charm of by-gone days". The Cumberoona bears a green and cream colour scheme with two wooden decks, nicely undercover for when the rain falls, and n enclosed room on the lower deck of the boat for when the weather is particularly foul! The boat can be rented out for functions- either to cruise or not- and is often the home of blues, jazz and other special events. If you're planning a trip on the Cumberoona take a look at their website www.cumberoona.com.au ____________________________________________________________ This article was created by Sean Bryan, please seek permission before use. Article created for APAM- Australian Paddler Appreciation Month, appearing on www.paddleducks.co.uk Sources:Parsons, Ronald Ships of the Inland Rivers Gould Books, 1987 Plowman, Peter, Murray Darling Paddleboats Rosenberg, 2005 Events on the Murray Wilkinson Printers

[thewharfonline]

The next major stop along the Murray is Echuca, the largest inland Port in Australia and third largest Port in Australia- after Melbourne and Sydney. Echuca was originally known as Hopwood's Crossing because of a punt that was used to cross the river...owned by Henry Hopwood! Henry Hopwood was a convict sent to Tasmania to serve out his sentence. (Coincidental enough Hopwood was tried on the same day as James Maiden the founder of Moama, Echuca's twin border town on the New South Wales side of the river) After becoming free Hopwood made his way to what is now Echuca and though 'What a lovely spot to set up a punt' even though there was one down the road. Hopwood's monopoly had begun! Echuca was founded in 1853, soon after the Mary Ann came down the river to Echuca! Hopwood became known as 'King Of Echuca' and built buildings such as the Bridge Hotel. (Which he reviewed in a newspaper as being 'The finest hotel outside of Melbourne, as such nothing further need be said') Today you can still visit the operational bridge hotel and visit it's remade period room. Hopwood was a proud man, not fond of competition, in fact when one man 'borrowed' his pitch pot he felt inclined to take the man to court, however the the man was found not guilty...so Hopwood just charged everyone that used his punt a little extra to get the money back! The Echcua Wharf, the towering structure that is now only 1/5 of its original length was built in 1856, but at first was more like the length it is today. As trade by river became increasingly more popular extension of the wharf was necessary. As such the wharf was extended to 1.2km long and included 5 railway tracks to accomodate awaiting trains that would take the boats cargo to Melbourne. The wharf was stripped around WWII to feed the fires of industry in Melbourne and as such support our troops in foreign lands. Luckily 150m of the Wharf were left, and that still remains today. After the river trade died down so did the wharf, paddlers tied up and sunk when their hulls dried out. Some Paddle Steamers like the Melbourne were bought by other companies and restored- that's another story though! The Wharf now became an ideal diving board for youths. In the sixties and seventies Echuca began the progression from trading town to tourist town. The Paddle Steamer Canberra arrived and began operating tourist cruises and the PS Adelaide could be found cemented in the Hopwood Gardens. Much of the area was claimed as being of historical significance by the National Trust in 1969 and soon after the Wharf was taken over. Restoration of the wharf took place and opened to the public for 20c, only offering a good view...nothing like the museum of today! Apart from the Wharf Echuca boasted another large feat, around 70 hotels...or pubs if you prefer! Yes that's right the citizens of Echuca in 1866 had their choice of many a great pub, some still exist today and operate just as they used too! And of course when you got kicked out of one New South Wales was still 25 minutes behind Victorian time, so you could have another beer in Moama! When prohibition was enforced..kind of, many of the hotels were shut, which only promoted another interesting idea in Echuca. The Underground Bar in the Star Hotel- opposite the Port Of Echuca, was dug after the Star Hotel could no longer be used to drink in, as such river men would walk across the road from the wharf, go down some stairs and drink the night away...at least until a police man came when they would scamper down one of the escape tunnels, specifically dug for this purpose! Today Echuca is a thriving town, the river has once again become a popular place for paddlers to tie up with approximately 23 paddlers in the area. Six tourist paddlers currently operate, with a Seventh, the Hero, on its way! (Slowly) The wharf is in a great condition with a superb collection of historic and interactive river trade related items. If you think you've seen the Port before- apart from my pictures, it was used for the filming of 'All The Rivers Run' Parts 1 and 2. Many of the other historic buildings have also been restored, old shops operate with new products, old pubs still supply grog to the river boat men...hey it's a hard life smoking 8 hours a day! So welcome to Echuca. THis article ended up bigger than I expected...and doesn't contain half the amount of information I would have liked to include...so stay tuned for my report on the Adelaide very soon! ___________________________________________________________ This article was created by Sean Bryan, please seek permission before use. Article created for APAM- Australian Paddler Appreciation Month, appearing on www.paddleducks.co.uk Sources: Morris, Allan, Rich River 1953 Christopher, Peter Paddlesteamers and Riverboats of the River Murray 2000 Phillips, Peter J Redgum & Paddlewheels Australia's Inland River Trade 1980

[thewharfonline]

The Paddle Steamer Adelaide is the Port Of Echuca's 'Grand Old Lady' and for good reason! This beautiful boat is the Oldest Wooden Hulled Paddle Steamer in the world. Compared to other paddlers in the world my understanding is that the Adelaide is about the fourth oldest in the world. The Adelaide was built at Echuca between 1865 and 1866 and was launched on the 21st of July 1866 for an interesting life on the Murray River. The Adelaide began life looking pretty much as she does now, with round wheel boxes and the sunken cabin on the stern. There was much hype in Echuca around the day when the Adelaide was to be launched. The first steam crane on the Echuca Wharf was used two days before the launch and broke all unloading records held so far! The Adelaide was launched successfully with great cheers from the crowds. But her trials offered an embarrassing situation. Just downstream from Echuca the Adelaide ran into the bank after her reversing gear failed. Overhanging tree branches hit the top deck and a Mr Lewen was knocked from the wheelhouse, suffering a broken leg. Apart from this small incident the Adelaide was highly regarded as a fine boat with some reporting that she was "All that money could procure or taste design". Adelaide spent it's first years darting between jobs and owners and was mostly used around Swan Hill until she returned to Echuca to begin a long life in the logging industry as a tow boat. The Adelaide is a relatively small boat with little room to store cargo on her decks. Instead she was used as a towing steamer. The Adelaide has incredible towing power. She has larger than normal paddlewheels (being 14'' in Diameter) and two eighteen horsepower engines...a total result of 36hp. The Adelaide has an Australian made boiler and Engine built by Fulton and Shaw of Melbourne. The Adelaide is 78 feet long, 16.5 feet wide and weighs 142 tonnes. The draught of the Adelaide, like many of the Murray paddle steamers was only a matter of 2-4 feet depending on how much the boat was carrying. The Adelaide then spent most of her life after 1872 towing the timber barges for Murray River Saw Mills, which still exists today. Two barges would be towed behind the Adelaide to the forests of Barmah where red gum was harvested for many years. The barges that would travel to Barmah were known as ‘Outriggers’ and are another interesting vehicle, which I believe is unique to the Murray. Red gum has many unique properties such as the ability not to rot in fresh water and be incredibly hardy. By far its most unique though is the fact that it sinks in water. Unlike along other rivers where logs could be floated down stream the red gum had to be loaded onto barges. To do this large logs were laid across the decks (these were what gave the barge their name) then the logs needing to be loaded were rolled into the river. Grappling hooks picked up the logs and they were chained to the outriggers, as such the logs were hanging over the sides of the boat as if they were actually floating in the river. Often the barges would then drift back down stream for a bit as the crew on board the Adelaide would prepare the engine for work. Then the Adelaide would pick up the barge and tow it back to the saw mills where the wood would be turned into a variety of products- boat hulls, furniture, railway sleepers etc. In 1924 the Adelaide’s look changed a bit when the round paddle boxes were replace with square boxes, which allowed more cargo to be carried because of their flat surfaces. The rear sunken cabin was also brought above deck. The Adelaide worked for the sawmills up until the 1950’s when railway and even roads had finally stolen the trade from beneath her wheels. In 1957 Adelaide retired from river trade, new owners in 1958 wanted to take her down to Renmark. Around this time it is believed a set of owners wanted to remove the decking and paddlewheels and turn the hull into diesel driven barge. We’re obviously blessed to still have the Adelaide around, the 1958 plan didn’t work to well and in 1960 Adelaide was purchased by the Echuca Apex Club and was shipped back to Echuca. Here the Adelaide was lifted into the Hopwood Gardens through a series of Coffer Dams where the Canberra, Emmylou and Pride Of The Murray now tie up. In the gardens Adelaide was filled with cement, her final resting place would allow the boat to be shown off to the sudden tourist boom for Echuca. Here the Adelaide sat, square boxes, hull deteriorating every day. Then along came an ambitious plan to return the Adelaide to the river. The purchase of the PS Pevensey had brought not only the boat but also shipwright Kevin Hutchinson down from Mildura. The final resting place for the Adelaide was suddenly no longer a garden! The Adelaide returned to the Murray in 1984 and was fully restored, with round boxes again in 1985 where recommissioning took place by Prince Charles and Princess Dianna while they were out on a royal visit. Since recommissioning the Adelaide appeared in ‘All The Rivers Run II’ where an exact scale model was produced so that they could blow up the Adelaide or crash into it…or something of the like! Adelaide then only ran every so often. Used occasionally to demonstrate towing with the D26 Outrigger Barge. For the Adelaide’s 75th birthday she was taken to Barmah with the D26 and an outrigging session was held, the logs returned to Echuca…and I swear they are still the same logs attached to the barge today! Soon after this Adelaide gained a ticket to allow her to carry passengers, 12 to start with and ran trips in the off-season. Now Adelaide is capable of carrying 47 passengers and operates slightly more often. Her speed is incredible with people allegedly being able to water ski behind her! She is by far the fastest boat in Echuca, not even the POTM, a diesel boat, being able to match her speed. The Adelaide is truly a fantastic boat, handling incredibly well and still operating fantastically for her old age! She takes pride of place at the Port Of Echuca and fascinates all who step aboard her deck. The Adelaide operates from the Port Of Echuca, for more details visit www.portofechuca.org.au ____________________________________________________________ This article was created by Sean Bryan, please seek permission before use. Article created for APAM- Australian Paddler Appreciation Month, appearing on www.paddleducks.co.uk Sources:Parsons, Ronald Ships of the Inland Rivers Gould Books, 1987 Plowman, Peter, Murray Darling Paddleboats Rosenberg, 2005 Coulson, Helen Paddle Steamer Adelaide McCabe Prints 1985

[thewharfonline]

Ok so thats some of the articles back. Unfortunately I have to get going and as I am not at home I cannot repost the pictures.

So have fun taking a look again at these articles and I'll have the rest for you again soon!

Sean

[Roderick Smith]

The river at Alburyis often too shallow for cruising.  The level here rises and falls rapidly according to releases from Lake Hume, and the amount of electricity being generated at the hydro station there.
Cumberoona is sometimes stranded on the bank at this mooring.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

PS Cumberoona was the only paddleboat to convey the Commonwealth Games Queen's Baton.  The baton had followed and crossed Murray River many times:
At Goolwa it was carried over the bridge to Hindmarsh Island.
At Morgan, it crossed aboard the vehicular punt.
At Renmark it cruised on a modern houseboat.
At Mildura it was carried over the bridge, with local paddleboats and other vessels assembled as a guard of honour below.
At Euston/Robinvale it was carried across the bridge.
At Echuca it was carried across the bridge.
At Yarrawonga it was carried across the bridge, then was carried on a wooden speedboat in the upper reaches of Lake Mulwala (the Ovens River arm).
At Corowa/Wahgunyah it was carried over the historic bridge (from which a famous speech was made in the campaign for federation).
It crossed from Wodonga (Victoria) to Albury (NSW) aboard PS Cumberoona.  The official website photos concentrated on the runner and the baton, and not on the vessel.

The website is still available, as a historical reference document.
http://qbr.melbourne2006.com.au/?s=qbr
You could surf for hours looking at the program, the photos and downloading the videos.  The one of Cumberoona shows the engine at work and the paddles churning (1 MB & 4 MB versions available for downloading).

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

The original PS Cumberoona was one of the fastest vessels on the upper Murray.  It once ran Howlong - Echuca in 36 h, including stops for wooding, passengers and cargo.  The railway reached Echuca in 1864, but didn't reach Wodonga until 1873.  For 9 years, the fastest and most comfortable Melbourne - Wodonga journey was by train to Echuca, then by paddleboat.  The evening train would be met by four boats, all touting for business.

For close to 20 years, the most comfortable Melbourne - Adelaide journey was also via Echuca and a riverboat.  The coastal voyage was rough and dangerous (west coast Victoria is known as the 'shipwreck coast'.  The direct overland journey by horse-drawn coach was rough; by the 1870s  a hybrid journey from Adelaide used road to Milang, lake boat to Meningie, road to Casterton, then train.  The Murray River voyage was a slower route, but more comfortable and very scenic.  By the late 1880s, Melbourne and Adelaide were connected by through train.


Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

PS Adelaide in the park at Echuca being readied for its return to the water.  I have also a photo of it in the park when return to the water was not contemplated.  There is a good paddleboat video with a lengthy sequence of Adelaide being removed from the water to be placed in the park.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[thewharfonline]

The Paddle Steamer Pevensey is the biggest paddle steamer in Echuca and was one of the true workhorses of the Murray!

The Pevensey began life as the barge Mascotte, built in 1910 on the Moama slipway. It was built as a barge because the engine, being shipped from England, had not yet arrived. As to not waste the work that had been done so far the hull of the boat was used as a barge for a year before turning into the Pevensey. There was another engine mix up though which would create another situation for the Pevensey. Not only had one engine been shipped out but three engines were shipped out and as such the Pevensey gained two sister ships. The Wanera and the Ulonga.

The PS Wanera had the hull of the previous barge T.P and was completed as a Paddle Steamer in 1911 and like it's other two ships  was used heavily in the wool industry towing barges and carrying wool in its mighty holds. At one stage the Wanera was in use as a hawking steamer and set the record for a return trip from Echuca to Hay in 21 days. In 1947 the Wanera's engine was replaced with that of the PS Maggie. In 1972 Wanera was out of business, but a new  streak of life came in 1975 when she was purchased by Wanera Tourist Line and was refitted for the tourist trade capable of carrying 33 passengers. Just to prove that even well looked after tourist boats could be destroyed the PS Wanera burnt down on the 20th of January 1985 while at Wentworth. The hull of the vessel however has been purchased and there are plans to rebuild the boat.

The PS Ulonga was the Pevensey's other sister ship and was built in 1910 and fitted with the identical engine to the Pevensey a 20hp Marshall and Sons, Wanera only had a 7hp Marshall and Sons. The Ulonga operated the wool trade for a long period of time and was one of the last two wool boats operating from Echuca, the other was the Invincible. The Ulonga was then bought and shipped to Renmark where she was used to cart firewood before she was sold again and sent to Goolwa where she sailed out into Port Adelaide under plans to make her a schooner. There is still footage of the Ulonga on the ocean, looking very out of place and very worn down. The Ulonga sunk in Port Adelaide and has not been recoverd.

The PS Pevensey though has lived a much greater life than her sisters. Used to cart wool by 'Permewan , Wright & Co LTD'. The Pevensey is capable of carrying 120 tonnes of cargo in her two massive holds in the bow and stern of the boat and is powered by a 1910 Marshall and Sons 20hp, twin cylinder engine which requires 75 PSI to operate and blows its safety valves at 125 PSI, it might not have in its day though! The Pevensey itself weighs in at about 130 tonnes and is 111.6 feet long and 23 feet wide. The Pevensey was one of the largest tow and cargo boats on the Murray River.

On October 11 1932 the Pevensey caught alight and all deckhousing was destroyed. What saved the Pevensey from completely burning was one of the Murray's unique design features. The Murray is a very dangerous river with all it's snags and sand bars and red gum is a very hardy wood. So below the water line red gum was used to protect the hull as it stood a good chance against the snags and would not rot. However when out of water red gum easily dried and changed thickness as such creating large gaps between planks. As such iron  topsides were installed as these would not create any gaps and would still protect the boat. Around the edge of the hull as such along the top of the deck run an iron lip- the sponsons are made of wood but there wouldn't have been any decking over the holds like there is today. This iron lip would have protected the hull from catching alight. The machinary and wheels were also ok so the Pevensey was able to work the rivers again in 1935, a close call for the 'Clydesdale of the Murray'.

 In 1950 the Pevensey was bought by a new owner and moved to Mildura where it again changed hands a few times until it was laid up in 1958 at Renmark. In 1967 Pevensey sank at her moorings, a regular occurrence to boats that were left on the side of the river as river levels rose and dropped, making the timber hulls vulnerable when not caulked properly. In 1968 the boat was refloated by Bill and Norm Collins who then sold the Pevensey back to Mildura. At this stage the Pevensey still had its derrick crane at the front of the vessel, an item which many enthusiasts of today wish she still had. In 1973 the Pevensey was purchased by the Port Of Echuca and $20,000 later Pevensey was steaming back to Echuca from Mildura on the 22 July 1973 arriving on August the 5th with Kevin Hutchinson, who is now the Port's Chief Shipwright. The Pevensey was in a shabby state, pumps made the Pevensey stay afloat on her cruise home...and they didn't stop pumping the whole way! The wheel boxes were falling apart and the deck housing looked a bit worse for ware, but they spruced her up with some coloured flags.

Restoration began in 1974 but floods prolonged the restoration and on the 29th of October 1976 the Pevensey returned to the water and was towed to the wharf to finish of the machinery and other internal restoration works. After this was all complete the Port of Echuca had a boat to use for the tourism industry but it was the 'All The Rivers Run' telemovies that would boost the popularity of the Pevensey!

In 1982 film crews arrived in Echuca to begin filming with the newly restored Pevensey as the lead role in the film with John Waters and Sigrid Thornton co-starring! In the film the Pevensey was renamed to the 'Philadelphia' in honour of Sigrid Thornton's character. The film was not only shown in Australia but internationally which boosted tourism to this day for the Port Of Echuca, and they still have the Philadelphia name board in the Cargo Shed Museum.

Pevensey has recently undergone a machinery refit with new Gear wheels being installed, the originals lasting 90 years. She also has had a roofing structure built over her stern deck to shade people from the sun and rain along with a newly designed canvas covering for the bow of the boat! Passengers can sit on wool bales on the front deck or benches on the stern. Passengers can also explore the tiny cabins and often lunch for the crew is cooked on the original wood fired oven in the galley!

The Pevensey can carry 100 people (47 on the top deck) and the best way to descend the ladders is backwards! Deckhands like myself will rip your ticket and like the rest of the crew you can ask us as many questions as you want! (It makes our day more exciting) The Pevensey now burns a ton of wood a day but in her era she would have burned a ton and hour. About eight tonnes of wood are stored below deck and these piles are replenished each evening when the crew wood up! Red gum is provided from the Barmah forest where a deal has been made that the Port will get the branches of fallen trees as fire wood.

Pevensey operates mostly through the school holidays when the crowds are biggest and when not out on cruises can be explored through a Port Day Pass. For more details visit the Port Of Echuca website at www.portofechuca.org.au
____________________________________________________________
This article was created by Sean Bryan, please seek permission before use. Article created for APAM- Australian Paddler Appreciation Month, appearing on www.paddleducks.co.uk
Sources:Parsons, Ronald Ships of the Inland Rivers Gould Books, 1987
Plowman, Peter, Murray Darling Paddleboats Rosenberg, 2005
Christopher, Peter Paddlesteamers and Riverboats of the Murray River[/i]

[thewharfonline]

PS Emmylou is now located further in the series

[thewharfonline]

22nd Eddy Matthews  Friday, August 04, 2006
Great articles Sean - I'm sure we're all learning a great deal about the Aussie paddlers from them. I know I certainly am!

I have to be honest and say I didn't know that Australia had such a long and fascinating history when it comes to their river paddlers. Were there ever any ocean going paddlers down in Oz?

Keep up the superb work - You won't always get a response to your articles, but rest assured were all reading them with great interest....
No number Friday, August 04, 2006
In reply to ocean going paddlers yes there were! In fact some of the Murray boats even ended up on the ocean! I know the Shannon was destroyed off Tasmania after working for IXL Jams for awhile, that was after leaving the Murray!

Apart from Murray boats I know there were a few that operated in Port Phillip By as ferries- there were three to my knowledge- photos can be found in Mornington McDonalds as well as other Mornington locations and Sorrento etc for you Victorians that may know what I mean! But do you consider the Bay an Ocean- I don't know! You might need to get another Aussie to check out those facts for you...I'm not sure!

Thanks for all your support guys!
21st Derek Warner Saturday, August 05, 2006
Hi - PD's - it appears that many more Australian paddlers went out of the Murray-Darling via Goolwa to distant places:
PS Decoy steamed from SA to to Perth WA [4000 KM]
PS Despatch steamed from SA to Melbourne VIC
PS Ethol Jackson steamed from SA to Townsville QLD [4000 KM]
PS Gundagai steamed from SA to Wanganui NZ [south-west coast of North Island, on Whanganui River, the home of PS Waimarie today]. PS Lioness - was brigantine sail rigged in Liverpool UK, sailed to our land off OZ, then much later steamed from SA to Greymouth NZ [west coast of South Island].
PS Shannon - Sean confirmed her fate as to the Tamar river in TAS
PS Thistle - steamed from SA to Queensland, then later from QLD to Suva Fuji [4000KM]
Now all of the distances as mentioned here were probably achieved originally in Knots, Nautical miles, Cables, Chains or Leagues, so any incorrectness is probably due to that metrication thing - I mentioned last night – Derek.
 
20th Martin Blanchard Monday, August 07, 2006
Ya caught me. I just looked at a map and stuffed it up!
19th Wednesday, August 09, 2006 8:48 PM
Well our internet downloads went over for awhile so I wasn't allowed on for awhile...and look what happens APAM turns into APgoingtoNZAPM lol nah it's cool it's a well known fact that Aussies love to adopt NZers! Anyway what I do have for you all is a massive bag of goodies, yes I wrote I think four articles, which to tease you more I shall post one by one! Tonight I will post the Pride Of The Murray- of course if I get bored you'll get the Hero as well! By the time I post all the articles I will have finished Echuca and we can all move on to Swan Hill!

Responses to some of the articles

[thewharfonline]

PV Pride Of The Murray is now located further in the series

[thewharfonline]

One of the latest additions to the Echuca fleet of historic boats is the Paddle Steamer Hero which after working a hard life on the river has returned from her watery grave to become a magnificent five star floating hotel in a new lease on life.

The Hero was built in 1874 at Echuca to work the Murrumbidgee River as a general-purpose tow and cargo steamer. The Murrumbidgee, like the Darling, was one of the Murray’s dangerous tributaries. Much smaller than the water level and the width of the Darling with far more bends the Murrumbidgee proved to be a dry grave for any paddlers that got stuck as the waters dropped. On the upper reaches of the Murrumbidgee was where the Hero was destined to work for the start of her life.

The Hero then changed hands quite a few times until Permewan, Wright & Co. Ltd, one of the big paddle steamer fleet operators, bought her and returned her to Echuca. Again for a period of time the Hero was used as a cargo and towing steamer until she was purchased by the Chislett Brothers who operated a sawmill and wanted to use her as a towing steamer for their barges. Into the 1940’s the Hero worked as a towing boat for the sawmill transporting the large logs to Boundary Bend where the sawmill was located. It was here when the river trade ended that the Hero was abandoned.

A second chance for the Hero occurred though when the great flood of 1956 swept across the length of the Murray and as one of the few operative paddle steamers left on the river she was given a new crew and sent out to rescue those stranded by the floods, which were mainly cattle and other farm animals. The 1956 flood was a ‘one last shot’ for many of the Murray’s river identities- boats and men, with stranded people, animals and cargo out of reach of the railways and roads that had killed off the river trade the paddle steamers were once again the kings of the river. After the flood in 1957 the Hero was again abandoned at Boundary Bend.

In historic ‘newsreel’ footage the Paddle Steamer Success is shown rescuing stranded sheep along the Murray. The Success was built in 1877 and was 82 feet long and 17 feet wide. She was used as a snagging vessel for many years and was sold many times to various river identities until the register was closed in 1954 stating their was ‘no trace of vessel’ which makes the 1956 footage very interesting. After the floods the Success sunk and has more recently been sold to the Old Mildura Homestead who are currently restoring her. During the 1956 floods the skipper ‘Brick’ Pollard renamed the boat Noah’s Ark after it’s many trips to stranded stations near Wentworth to rescue sheep holding them in specially made pens on the stern of the boat.

The Hero burnt and was deliberately sunk to put out the fire and preserve the hull on the 19th of January 1957. Here the wreck of the Hero lay for many years until purchased in 1986 where plans of refloating the boat and restoring it were made. Nothing happened though until 1998 when finally the Hero was raised out of the river and sent to Echuca by road. It was here in Echuca, where the Hero was built, that the Hero would gain new life. Placed in the ‘Shipwrights Yard’ at the Port of Echuca Kevin Hutchinson and a team of shipwrights began the task of restoring the boat with many of the hull planks needing to be replaced. When the hull had been finished it was slowly lowered back onto the Murray on the 13 September 2001 by two cranes.

Here the boat was moved to just below the old Evans Brothers Sawmill where work began on the deck housing of the boat. On the 19 of October 2002 the Hero’s new boiler arrived. Originally a twin cylinder, 28 hp Atlas Engine Works steam engine, built in Melbourne, powered the Hero. This engine could still be found in the Hero when she was sunk at Boundary Bend and was removed from the wreck where it was believed to be in a restorable state. However it was going to be cheaper and more efficient to replicate the engine. The completely new boiler has so far been made, looking exactly like the original boiler, however the rivets that appear on the new engine are all for appearance and are actually fake. Unlike the old boiler, which had been riveted together, the new engine has been welded together. The replica steam engine is yet to arrive. Upon the arrival of the Hero’s new boiler both the old and the new were displayed together in Murray Esplanade on a low loader. One was a rusted out piece of metal, the other a shining maroon boiler.

The Hero is 92 feet long and 17 feet wide and is still in need of many elements including paddle wheels, the original wheels belonged to the Pride Of The Murray for a period of time but now only the hubs remain, before her restoration is complete. A new sign along with paintwork has been completed on the boat along with pressed metal ceilings and stained glass windows in all the cabins. Brass will feature all over the boat with door handles, railings, light switches and non-slip stair pieces all made from brass and many containing the letter ‘H’ on them. I believe the brass work has been made and imported from America. There is no doubt no expense has been spared on the Hero.

Hero was originally intended to be finished for the Centenary of Federation in 2001, this date was not achieved and since then many dates have been set where the Hero was meant to be finished. Still the Hero sits in the wet dock- she was moved to here from under the Old Sawmill at some stage after the area was cleared and the B22 barge moved to open up what used to be a section of the Echuca Wharf. Ever so slowly the Hero is moving towards completion and there is no doubt she will be a superb boat upon her recommissioning, they even say she could rival the Adelaide in speed- I’d like to be there to see that race!

The Paddle Steamer Hero can be seen at the Port Of Echuca, a day pass will allow you to gain access to the Hero so you can step aboard and take a look for yourself or if you are lucky talk to the shipwrights. For more information visit: www.portofechuca.org.au
Sources:Parsons, Ronald Ships of the Inland Rivers Gould Books, 1987
Plowman, Peter, Murray Darling Paddleboats Rosenberg, 2005

*UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE*
The Hero has, since this article was originally posted, had her engines installed, linked with a Stephensons Link